Aboutst to be some big changes at Uni Med Center

dashriprock

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Dec 14, 2008
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announcing an "Affiliation" with HMA, which owns River Oaks, Womens, Madison, CMMC and Crossgates, among others.
 

msdawg90

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Nov 1, 2008
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Have you heard if there are plans for UMC to take on/merge any of the local hospitals, ie, the struggling CMMC?
 

dashriprock

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Dec 14, 2008
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and both UMC and CMMC do the lion's share of indigent patients in metro Jxn and both loose money, so i would think that if HMA ends up with a management agreement for UMC, they would use figure out some way to stop loosing money at CMMC.
 

msdawg90

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Nov 1, 2008
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I had heard talks earlier this year of UMC taking over CMMC, to some capacity, such as a south campus or along those lines. Who knows. Interesting.
 

coach66

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Mar 5, 2009
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turned me over to a collection agency for charges we knew nothing about and certainly were not our responsibility, belonged to another patient. The worst part is they never sent us a bill of any kind before sending it to the agency. It has been a real pain in the ***. Just another reason for me to loathe UM, as if I needed one.
 

Fraggle Rock Reb

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Nov 30, 2011
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; color: black;">Dec. 1, 2011</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; color: black;">TO: Medical Center Faculty, Staff and Students

FROM: Dr. James E. Keeton, Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs
</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Dear
Friends and Colleagues:</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I
wanted to make you aware of an important matter before it appears in the press
later today.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">We
are announcing today that the University of Mississippi Medical Center and
Health Management Associates, Inc., which owns 10 hospitals in Mississippi, are
exploring a possible affiliation. The overarching purpose of such an
agreement would be to expand health professions education in the state, enhance
the delivery and quality of medical services, and prepare both organizations
for a changing national health-care landscape in the years ahead.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I
would emphasize that these are just talks at this point, but we are hopeful
that they will lead to some kind of agreement in the new year to work more
closely together. But I view this as exceptionally good news for UMMC and
those we serve.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Our
strong belief is that this potential affiliation will pave the way for broad
cooperation that will create more opportunities for community-based training of
resident physicians and other trainees, offer a menu of health services in
settings ranging from rural community clinics to our urban academic medical
center, and open additional venues for population-based health research to
improve care and improve the health status of Mississippi residents. </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">In
this new era of health care we are entering, all the experts agree that none of
us can stand alone anymore. We have to collaborate to survive and
thrive. So affiliation of this sort is not only in our interest but, more
importantly, the interest of our patients and students. </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">First
and foremost, this collaboration will ultimately help us boost the number of
physicians that are trained in Mississippi, in response to a shortage that will
only grow worse over time. Doing that will ensure better and more
accessible care for all our citizens.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">The
affiliation between a public academic health science center and an
investor-owned company is not unusual. Health Management, which owns 66
hospitals and 461 clinics in 15 states, has relationships with other academic
centers both public and private.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Most
of you are familiar with the Health Management facilities in the metro area,
including River Oaks Hospital and Woman’s Hospital at River Oaks, both in
Flowood, Crossgates River Oaks Hospital in Brandon, Madison River Oaks Hospital
in Canton and Central Mississippi Medical Center. The company also owns
hospitals in Amory, Batesville, Biloxi, Clarksdale and Natchez. </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">As
you know, sweeping changes in financing and government regulation of health
care, aimed at improving patient outcomes while restraining costs, are causing
all providers to look for innovative ways to operate more efficiently and
effectively. We consider ourselves leaders in those efforts. We
expect this proposed affiliation will open additional avenues to enhance the
value of the services we provide patients.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Both
parties believe the venture will expand access to health care and lead to
marked improvements in statewide services for childhood illnesses, cancer,
stroke, chest pain and cardiovascular disease.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I
want to stress that this affiliation is only one of several relationships UMMC
has with health-care providers in the state. This will not affect those
relationships, whether they be for education, patient care or both. </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">We’ve
always been willing to work with anyone and that will continue to be true no
matter what happens.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">What
does this mean for you? At this point, it should not have a significant
impact on your day-to-day responsibilities. Over the long term, depending
on your role, you will increasingly feel like you are part of a larger team
that extends beyond the boundaries of UMMC.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Ultimately,
we believe this affiliation will help promote our future growth, sustainability
and excellence. That will be good for UMMC, and those we serve.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Thank
you. <span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
 

coach66

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Mar 5, 2009
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to work with someone who can. I guess Dan Jones knew what he was doing.
 
Nov 17, 2008
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coach66 said:
turned me over to a collection agency for charges we knew nothing about and certainly were not our responsibility, belonged to another patient. The worst part is they never sent us a bill of any kind before sending it to the agency. It has been a real pain in the ***. Just another reason for me to loathe UM, as if I needed one.
I feel your pain. I've had great luck with the actual service at the hospital during the stay. However, the billing department will give you a heart attack. They are the most incompetent bunch of idiots ever. I spent 6 months trying to pay them $2800 that I owed them. They were about to sue me to collect money that I was trying to pay them They had screwed up the bill. It was a horrific experience. I documented every call and had over 100 discussions with them. I went through every supervisor in the department and they were all morons. I finally used an inside connection to have a real swinging dick at UMC call me, and the problem was corrected in 15 minutes and I gave them my credit card number over the phone and it was done. The word straight from the big bosses mouth was "Those idiots in billing are incompetent. The smartest one over there can't tell their *** from a car door". He gave me his direct number and cell number and told me to call him if I ever have any more problems. My son will have another surgery there tomorrow and I will be calling the guy if I have problems again. The billing department is full of retards.
 

Todd4State

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Mar 3, 2008
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This is just being "discussed" so while it may likely happen, nothing is final.

There's probably going to be some give and take on both sides. I've worked at both and currently work at UMC. River Oaks has entire wings that are empty. That's not good. Actually, that's why I quit there- I worked PRN and they couldn't give me enough work, so therefore not as much money for me.

I would also suspect that our benefits are a lot better- so the River Oaks people may benefit from that.